The VW emissions scandal case is likely to be the largest group action the UK has ever seen with the litigation being led by a steering committee comprised of law firms Your Lawyers, Slater & Gordon and Leigh Day.

Your Lawyers says it is fighting to hold Volkswagen accountable for its actions in the UK to the same extent as in the US, where claimants have received a settlement of over $15billion.

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Director Aman Johal said: “The Group Litigation Order against Volkswagen over Dieselgate is now live and drivers... must seize the opportunity to sign up.

“Your Lawyers is proud to be on the steering committee and to lead the class action against the automotive giant.

“Owners of 1.2million vehicles in the UK can claim for the human, environmental and financial impact of Volkswagen’s installation of their illegal defeat devices. Volkswagen must be held to account for its reprehensible actions and the door is officially open for claimants.

“Sign-ups close on October 26 2018, but claimants will need to contact Your Lawyers before then so it is vital to act now and to ensure a scandal of this kind does not, and can not, happen again. We need as many people to join the action as possible in order increase the pressure upon Volkswagen to do the morally right thing and compensate owners and former owners.

“As a lawyer who has put my life and soul into fighting Volkswagen ever since news of the scandal first broke, I pledge that I and my firm will fight for as long as is required to achieve justice for English and Welsh consumers.”

'Dieselgate'

A Volkswagen Passat CC car is tested for its exhaust emissions (Image: John Stillwell/PA Wire)

The ‘Dieselgate’ fraud was first revealed in September 2015 after Volkswagen was discovered to have installed illegal ‘defeat devices’ in its EA189 diesel engines. The devices were fitted by Volkswagen to cheat the European emissions testing regime.

Volkswagen’s deceit led to over eight million vehicles being supplied to consumers across Europe which emitted Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) at levels substantially higher than permitted by law.

As well as the excess NOx emissions having a devastating human and environmental impact, the affected vehicles, which have been subject to a “fix” by Volkswagen, have been widely reported to perform less efficiently.

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In 2017 Volkswagen AG (VW) admitted in United States courts that it had deceived U.S. regulators and U.S. customers about whether vehicles complied with U.S. emissions standards.

And the company has agreed to pay some €21.6bn in fines, compensation and related costs.

VW has not admitted wrongdoing or liability in the EU and continues to resist claims for compensation. Instead it has offered a technical ‘fix’ for affected cars and, in some jurisdictions including the UK, it has offered enhanced trade-in terms and similar non-financial incentives on affected vehicles.

Owners of both new and second-hand vehicles may have a claim against VW

A Volkswagen Passat car. 1.1 million Volkswagen vehicles in the UK are affected by the diesel emissions scandal, the company said in 2015 (Image: PA)

The case against VW will be brought as a group litigation so the case will only be heard once, and it is not necessary for each individual claimant to proceed against VW in separate actions.

Vehicles affected by the action manufactured by Volkswagen, Audi, Seat or Skoda are 1.2, 1.6 or 2.0 litre diesel engine vehicles made between 2009 and 2015 and purchased leased or acquired (new or used) before January 1, 2016.